Rifenburg favorite for $3 million Delmar 'streetscape' project

Construction begins in June with detours, lane closures on Delaware Ave.

Bethlehem's streetscape improvement program is taking place this year along Delaware Avenue from the Four Corner's where Adriano's and Swifty's is located to Elsmere Avenue.

Bethlehem's streetscape improvement program is taking place this year along Delaware Avenue from the Four Corner's where Adriano's and Swifty's is located to Elsmere Avenue.

Photo: Andrianospizza.com

Photo: Andrianospizza.com

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Bethlehem's streetscape improvement program is taking place this year along Delaware Avenue from the Four Corner's where Adriano's and Swifty's is located to Elsmere Avenue.

Bethlehem's streetscape improvement program is taking place this year along Delaware Avenue from the Four Corner's where Adriano's and Swifty's is located to Elsmere Avenue.

Photo: Andrianospizza.com

Rifenburg favorite for $3 million Delmar 'streetscape' project

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BETHLEHEM -- Rifenburg Construction of Troy is expected to win a $3 million contract from the town of Bethlehem on Wednesday night for a long-anticipated "streetscape" and water main replacement project along Delaware Avenue in Delmar.

The project is expected to spruce up and make it easier to walk and bike to shops and businesses along a stretch of Delaware Avenue that in many cases lacks curbs and sidewalks. However, it will cause traffic issues starting in June with lane closures and detours during weekdays.

Construction is expected to go through the fall until the end of the year, and the detours would route traffic around Delaware Avenue using Kenwood and Hudson avenues.

"As with all major construction projects, traffic and travel will be impacted, so I ask for everyone's patience during the construction phase," Bethlehem Supervisor John Clarkson wrote to town residents last week.

The Bethlehem town board is planning to award the construction contract, which includes the water main replacement work, to Rifenburg at its meeting Wednesday night at town hall. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.

The streetscape project, which has been a decade in the making, will add new sidewalks, curbs, landscaping, bike racks, street lamps and other enhancements along Delaware Avenue from Adams Street at the Four Corners northward to Elsmere Avenue, a stretch of businesses, homes and churches that lacks traditional sidewalks and curbs in places.

"The purpose of the project is to implement design improvements that will help strengthen Delaware Avenue's main street character and provide for safe and convenient travel and access for all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers and transit users," Bethlehem Supervisor John Clarkson wrote in the letter to residents.

The combined cost of the street upgrades and the water main pipe replacement projects, which will happen at the same time, could be as high as $4 million, a price tag that includes the engineering and inspection work being done by Albany-based CHA.

Some of the street work will be offset by state funding. The town won a $1.2 million grant from the state Department of Transportation for that part of the project, and is looking at getting an additional $222,000 from the DOT and NYSERDA, the state's renewable energy agency, to cover costs above the project's original budget.

The water main project, with total costs of about $682,000, is being paid for through a town water fund capital reserve.

Rifenburg was the low bidder on the project, beating out Peter Luizzi & Bros., Casale Construction Services and Callanan Industries.